Rod Stewart on Justin Bieber and Madonna

Music News

Posted on October 15, 2015

Rod Stewart has been blessed with one of the greatest voices in rock or pop music, and he's definitely lived the "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll" lifestyle, so he apparently feels that gives him the right to diss one pop superstar's voice, and criticize another one's bad behavior.

Speaking to Britain's Event magazine, Rod says there are some young musicians out there he admires, but others he has no patience for. "Harry Styles is a good lad, I like him," says Rod of the One Direction heartthrob, who allegedly dated his daughter Kimberly a couple years ago. "But there are some people in the music business that try so hard to be different and rebellious." One in particular, in fact.

"Like Justin Bieber: he wants so much to be a bad, bad rock star," says Rod. "But you either are or you’re not –- you can’t fake it. He tries too hard. The public have seen it all before and they’re tired of rock stars behaving badly. It’s passé. The Who and [my old band] The Faces did it all before they were born."

Rod also has an opinion about a fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer: Madonna. "Good luck to [her]," he says. "She’s made a bloody fortune with a minimal voice. You can’t knock it: any girl who can make that sort of dough has to be admired. But give me Adele any day."

He adds, "We lost the best one of the lot: Amy Winehouse. What a voice that was."

Rod also has nice things to say about his pal Elton John, who he used to party with back in the day. Asked if Elton ever tried to convince him that he, too, was gay, Rod laughs, "Oh, all the time. But he never tried it on with me, even though I was quite fanciable back then. But God, we had some great, late nights. You’ve never laughed so much. Or drank so much."